Monday, April 02, 2007

The meta and the frog

One of the things that I've always found so fascinating about blogging is the feeling of intimacy that comes with sharing your words with thousands of strangers. Stories and feelings you might never share with people who are standing in front of you, bloggers willingly share with the nameless, faceless mass of readers that come to their blog through happenstance or regular following. I'm not quite sure what it is that makes us bloggers - especially parenting bloggers - feel secure in sharing these raw feelings but I do hope that many of you that I read continue doing so.

Your words have become an important part of my support team. If I question myself over this or that I very often turn to blogs to see what others have encountered in their lives with children. And sometimes, when I'm fence sitting on a particular subject, it's nice to read a real person's first hand account of what they went through and how they came out the other side.

One subject that I'm fascinated with is the two-child family. In the past I've have made no secret of my desire to stop at one child, but I will admit that lately I've been waffling. Could I do it? Could I make a two-child family work? Would I lose my mind in the process?

I have come to no hard and fast conclusions, but I have to say that after reading this post by Julie of MotherGooseMouse the answer to those questions are all yes. And because she was so candid with her words I'd also have to say that even though it would be really difficult at times, it's okay to admit that sometimes having two kids is no picnic.

No, I haven't yet decided to have another baby but Julie's post about her feelings on having two children is the most persuasive argument yet that I've seen and I thank her for sharing her experience. That's why I nominated her for a Perfect Post Award.

The Original Perfect Post Awards – March ‘07

Julie, if I do have another baby you'll be the first person I call while in labor. I'll be the one shouting expletives into your ear. Probably something about how you got me into that situation.

Thanks to MommaK and Suburban Turmoil for hosting these awards. Go to their sites to see the full list of nominees.

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Now for something completely different. What's the most disturbing thing you've seen? Well, forget that. This is now the most disturbing thing you've ever seen.

It's almost blasphemous. If you can get past the part where Kermit shoots heroine, believe me, it gets worse.

27 comments:

Velma said...

My head practically spun off from the mental whiplash after reading this post.

Anonymous said...

Sniff. Seriously tearing up here, Mrs. C. Maybe it's PMS, but I never thought my experiences as a mother - hell, never really thought I'd BE a mother - would affect others.

Thank you. Truly.

Anonymous said...

You're killing me.
Slowly.
Between the love and then the hurt...
I need a moment.

Mrs. Schmitty said...

OMG, that was VERY disturbing!

Chicky said...

She is right...you CAN do it, you WILL lose your mind on a daily basis, and it IS the most fun you can have with clothes on... ;)

Ok, maybe she didn't say the last part, but it IS a lot of fun!

Jennifer said...

I completely agree with your choice of Mothergoosemouse's post for a Perfect Post!

and the video...oh my. I don't have words.

Pendullum said...

Okay... that was pretty disturbing...
I will never look at kermit the same way again..

Bon said...

that was a great post. and it made me think too...i'm an only, and always wanted to raise two, but sometimes the "losing my mind" factor in the equation does loom a little large and i wonder why on earth...and then i read a post like that and i swear, i ovulate.

Bones said...

thousands of strangers? I'm lucky if I get to share my words with 15 strangers. And considering its the same 15 people, they're hardly strangers.

The Sports Guy(from ESPN)'s wife, affectionately known as the Sports Gal made TSG share the Kermit Hurt video with the world on his website. It's horrible! I cried The first time i saw the Johnny Cash video for hurt. the kermet version is about as blasphemous as it can get.

Chicky Chicky Baby said...

Bones - That's where I found the video in the first place. I'm a long time SG reader (from way back, when he was the Boston Sports Guy).

And don't forget, what you write today will still be there months (and lots more readers) to come.

Girlplustwo said...

it's incredible, isn't it? how we can be so deeply moved by the words of those in our village here?

her post was outstanding. as are you.

FENICLE said...

WE too have been struggling with the thoughts or possibility of having a second child. Although I haven't posted on it...you've encouraged me to consider sharing!

MARY G said...

I've always been really, really glad that we had two. I was an only, and asked for a little sister every Christmas and prayed for one every bedtime for years. We had two girls, fifteen months apart. It was no picnic: two in diapers and one of them mobile. But the girls have always been friends and are still friends as adults and I did recover both my figure and my sanity. Well, maybe not.
Re: Kermit. Good Grief, Charley Brown!

Kate said...

Am I the only one that sees a little bit of demented humor behind the Kermit video? (Just kidding. Really.)

As for having a 2nd child, it's extremely hard, don't let anybody kid you. But I'm very glad that we made that decision because it took us a long time to come to that decision (our kids are over 4 yrs apart).

Girl con Queso said...

Great Perfect Post pick. Thanks for sharing.

flutter said...

Of course you CAN, but is that where your heart lies?

Julie Pippert said...

I don't think I could explain the compulsion either, but this is as good as it gets. Awesome.

Damselfly said...

I think about two kids, too. Definitely not three because I was the middle child and hated it. Going to check out the perfect post...

I couldn't finish watching the Kermit video. How lame am I?

Unknown said...

I don't want to sway your decision as it's yours to make. I grew up a lonely only child. I hated it and always wanted siblings. Still do.

I was determined to have three children but ended up having four and my four get along excellently. They always have. I've been lucky. I am glad they have each other and my daughter was glad to have so much family when she was in the hospital delivering her first child. She wants to have four like I did. :)

Now, on the other hand, my husband has two children and while they get along now, at ages 16 and 19 they did not in any way get along for the first 10+ years. They fought all the time and we would get calls from his daughter daily crying about her brother.

We finally had to bring my step-son to live with us and I think the 3+ years apart helped them.

I hated being the only kid so much that I probably would have even loved a brother a fought with. :)

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

I don't want to sway your decision as it's yours to make. I grew up a lonely only child. I hated it and always wanted siblings. Still do.

I was determined to have three children but ended up having four and my four get along excellently. They always have. I've been lucky. I am glad they have each other and my daughter was glad to have so much family when she was in the hospital delivering her first child. She wants to have four like I did. :)

Now, on the other hand, my husband has two children and while they get along now, at ages 16 and 19 they did not in any way get along for the first 10+ years. They fought all the time and we would get calls from his daughter daily crying about her brother.

We finally had to bring my step-son to live with us and I think the 3+ years apart helped them.

I hated being the only kid so much that I probably would have even loved a brother a fought with. :)

carrie said...

When people write rawly and honestly and don't try to hide all the normalcy behind puffs of cotton candy it really is wonderful. That was a Perfect Post.

Whatever you decide, I know your heart is in the right place Chicky!

Carrie

Anonymous said...

I had to wait 20 minutes to view that Kermit video.

Thanks for that.

Goon.

As for the kiddie thing, well, only you and the hubs can decide.

But I can tell you, I wish I had more than three-now-two- and hopefully back up to three. I wish I had four or five of them.

It's damn fun. When I don't want to kill them.

But we will talk about this while braiding each other's hair and drinking copious amounts of wine....

Providing you aren't knocked up by then.

ms blue said...

Yay for Julie! Excuse me because I am a wee bit shocked by your disclosure. Now don't go surprising me with the decision that you want to keep up with the Jolie's.

ewe are here said...

Well, seeing as I've just recently entered the world of having 'children' as opposed to 'child' ... I can honestly say that, while it can be a bit hard at the moment, I wouldn't trade either of them for anything in the world. My boys are my boys, and I love them both more than I could have possibly imagined.

mo-wo said...

That's a great post over at Julies house yes.. Made me think again about wherre I'm at.

I guess I feel that giving birth to a child is freaking wonderful. And then in this world producing two, or more, people who can love one another .... that's amazing.

But I yell a lot more than I used to.

Amanda said...

I echo the "It's up to you and hubs" sentiment, however I will say this: Beneath the mayhem, unshaven legs and desperate attempts to find alone time with dad, having two is the ricvhest, most wonderful experience. I am looking twoard a third, hopefully. Whatever you decide, I think the funny and tender words you have sent out in the blogging community will ensure you'll have plenty of people cheering you on.